The Nice Guys (2016)

Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi
Starring Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice and Margaret Qualley

A mismatched pair of Private Detectives investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles. As they dig deeper they uncover a conspiracy that is bigger than they could've ever imagined.

Director Shane Black returns to his roots by following his second film, "Iron Man 3", with a detective oriented dark-comedy much like his first film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang".

As was expected, this film delivered many laugh-inducing moments. The writing and plot were just as expected. What was a bit of a surprise was the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. Their banter and interactions with each other were flawless and very believable, even in the most ridiculous of moments.

While the story was impressive in itself, the set dressings and wardrobes to emulate the 70s seemed flawless. At least to myself. I never experienced the 70s in person. So maybe some of the more experienced viewers noticed some faults. However, I was never taken out of the story by an ill-timed prop or car.

This is one of the funniest films I have seen in a while. And I cannot praise the two headlining actors enough. They truly brought this film to life. It was a refreshing change to the typical cookie-cutter film…

I realize I used "cookie-cutter" in my last review as well. I apologize. But let's be honest. So many movies these days are similar, it's rare that you see two films that break from the norm in two days. I'm having a good week.

My Rating: 8/10

Only God Forgives (2013)

Written and Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm and Yayaying Rhatha Phongam

Julian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother's recent death.

Following the success and rave reviews of what I consider a masterpiece ("Drive"), Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling decided to team up for another collaboration. But where their first effort triumphs, their second effort is less than impressive.

While it may seem counterproductive to talk about a completely different movie in a review, it is because of the director's choices that I feel compelled to do so. There was so much greatness in "Drive" that they tried to duplicate with this film.

The most notable thing about "Drive" is how little the protagonist speaks throughout the movie. It is obvious that they attempted to replicate that aspect in "Only God Forgives". But what Refn forgot was what made the quiet protagonist in his 2011 picture so powerful is the fact that no one around him would shut up. When everyone was saying whatever came to their minds without a filter, Gosling's character thought and meticulously chose his words. In "Only God Forgives", no one talks much. And when they do, it's usually crass, illogical and unnecessary.

One of the biggest problems I had with this movie is how vile every single character was. Not one character was justified in anything they did and it is apparent that the director only made it that way to have as much gratuitous violence as possible. The entire thing felt like a Tarantino-Scorsese inspired student film in which the students had no real aim with what they were trying to say. Everything was so meaningless and screamed of it's desire to be considered art.

Despite being only 89-minutes long, I found myself checking the time constantly. It's short run time is lost to it's long, drawn-out scenes. If the director hadn't been attempting to remake "Drive" without all of the things that made "Drive" great and he actually took the time to think this story out (or at least the way in which it was told), I feel this could have been a great movie.

With gorgeous shots, an amazing soundtrack and decent performances in spite of a half-assed script, this movie had parts of the foundation of what makes movies memorable. But ultimately, it falls short and crumbles into a big messy heap.

My Rating: 4/10

Lost River (2014)

Written and Directed by Ryan Gosling
Starring Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan and Matt Smith

A single mother is swept into a dark underworld, while her teenage son discovers a road that leads him to a secret underwater town. With the local legend that the town is cursed, due to a large section submerged under water by a dam, he sets out to reverse the spell.

In this modern fairy tale, a nearly abandoned city called Lost River keeps the families living within hostage to poverty and unemployment. Filmed entirely in the slums and ruins of the once great parts of Detroit, the entire film feels like an allegory for the plight of the inhabitants of the real-life city as well as an exaggerated, yet entirely true representation of society’s tolerance of violence toward women.

In his directorial debut, Ryan Gosling valiantly tackles these sensitive subjects with this wildly artistic film. The ambition Gosling has is easily found in the first few minutes of the film and remains prevalent throughout.

While I can see why so many of the people who have seen the film find it convoluted and boring, I feel that it has several nuances that make it unique and unlike any other fairy tale I have ever seen.

And with cinematography by Benoît Debie, this is a beautiful film to look at at the very least. Each scene is filled with vibrant colors and amazing composition. Each frame is meticulously orchestrated and captured, making each shot as stunning as the one before, if not more so.

I loved this movie. It is definitely one of those films that you will either love or hate; the audience would probably be divided equally. It is a remarkable, creative, ambitious story with incredible directing. It is definitely worth the watch.

My Rating: 8/10

All Good Things (2010)

Directed by Andrew Jarecki
Written by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling

Starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella and Lilly Rabe
David Marks was suspected but never tried for killing his wife, Katie, who disappeared in 1982, but things occur in his life that bring suspicion of him back into the investigators attention.

Based on the true story of Robert Durst, the subject of the HBO docu-series "The Jinx", this film made it surprisingly easy to sympathize with the alleged murderer who may or may not have committed these crimes (He did.. he totally did). I have yet to watch the series, but I was taken aback at how humanized they made him seem.

Were it not based on a true story, this movie would have been easy to look over. It is one of the many films that gain notoriety on it's subject matter alone. There was nothing spectacular about anything, from acting to cinematography. It was all very blasé for having such an unbelievable, yet true inspiration.

Pictured: Ryan Gosling being blasé.

It could have been so much more, but perhaps given the time this film was made, certain facts about the case weren't available at the time. It's a good movie. I enjoyed watching it. But this is like "Gone Girl's" little sister filled with teenage angst. Though, I definitely want to watch "The Jinx" now.

My Rating: 6.5/10